Food compound.



aria nrnnr onnron ROBERT H. McFARLAND, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

roozo compo-mm.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented April 14, 1908.

Application filed April 1, 1907. Serial No. 365,866.

, the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a composition of material for making pastry, and particularly for making biscuits; and its object is to provide a compound of ready mixed ingredientsrequiring but the addition of moisture in the form of water, milk or other suitable liquid,

such compound having the desirable quality of being mixed in a dr condition and remaining ermanent in such condition for any desire length of time,,whereby the same may be prepared in quantities and stored, transported and sold as an article of merchandise. Heretofore it has been found necessary to combine theingredients for-making pastry shortly before using the same because the shortening ingredient therein has been some'form of fatty substance such as butter, suet, lard or other fatty material, containing a considerable proportion of'oil or oily substance., Such shortening material renders the mixture unfit for the roposed urpose, because the shortening will cause t e particles of flour and other powdery materials to "adhere, and form masses or lumps that soon become unfit fOI'IlSB, because the compound will soon decompose, or become rancid and thus "wholly unpalatable and unfit for food by decomposition of the oil or oily ingredients therein.

I have discovered that the residue of hard fat com ounds' after the oils or' oily art's thereof ave been ex ressed will SBlJlSffiO- torily operate as a s ortening, and when mixed with the other ingredients necessary to form astry, the mixture will remain in powdered form and will also remain unchanged, and in roper condition for use, for a long period of time and under the usual conditions of storage and transportation.

My invention preferably consists of a mixture com rising a commercial stearin, which is the residue of a fatty substance afterthe oil, or oily portions have been removed therefrom, together with flour, seasoning and gas producing ingredients, such asa baking powder, as contra-distinguished from 'a compound containing a shortening offatty substance from which the oil normally contained therein has not been removed.

I prefer to usea commercial stearin consisting mainly of a glyoerid of stearic acid and derived from a hard fat by removal of the oil or oily ingredients normally therein. This stearin need not be chemically pure or derived from any particular annual or vegetable material, its essential feature being that the oil normally therein has been removed to such an extent that it will not cause the compound to adhere iii-lumps or to turn rancid, which result I have discovered has heretofore been due to the presence of the oil or oily ingredients which have been su posed necessary to the performance of the shortening function. I

I prefer to use substantially the following ingredients in substantially the proportions named, to-wit: one hundred parts by weight, comprising finely commlnuted or pulverized commercial stearin (substantially such as heretofore described) twelve parts; baking powder, ten parts; wheat flour, seventy-six parts; salt, two arts. These ingredients are to be intimate y mixed by any convenient means and in a dry and powdery condition. When thus mixed they constitute suitable material to form pastr and especially to form biscuits, by mere y adding to the same a suflicient amount of moisture to form a dough, which addition may be of waplaced in proper packages for commercial purposes, and sold or stored or used as occasion may require.

I am aware that so-called self-risin flour has been made in which the gas pro ucing element, commonly known as baking powder or some similar ingredient, has been mingled with the flour, but I believe it to be new, to provide a compoundhaving 'thereln an ingredient commonlyknown as shortenin that can be mixed with the other dr ingre ients necessary to form pastry in a ry condition, and that when so mixed will kee unchanged for any convenient length of time, it being heretofore customary to prepare compounds of this character b addlng the shortening to the other ingre lents immediately rior to use, for the reason that suet, lard,

utter or other like fats will soon turn rancid or decompose when mixed with flour in suitable ro ortions for making pastry.

W at claim is:

1. A compound for making pastry, consisting of a dry mixture of finely comminuted stearin, substantially such as described, together with flour, baking powder and salt' in about the proportions specified. astry consist. mg of a mixture in substantla ly the follow- 2. A compound for making ing pro ortions: of commercial stearin, (substantia y such as described) twelve per cent. baking powder, ten per cent; wheat flour, seventy-six per cent.; and salt, two'per cent.

3. A compound for making pastry, comprising finely comminuted stearin (substantially such as described) combined with flour,

- and seasoning substantially as described.

4. The combination of a shortening for pastry consisting of the residue of a hard fat after the oil or oily matter normally therein has been substantially removed therefrom, in combination with flour, bakingpowder and seasoning material in about the proportions specified. 1

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT H. .MoFARLAND.

Witnesses:

PALMER A. JoNEs, LUTHER V. MooL'ro 

